Dishonesty allegation dropped

A managing partner has been suspended from practice for 12 months after he admitted backdating a client-care letter in order to make a file “look as good as it could” when disclosed.

Jonathan Peter Durkin, admitted in 2012, was running Prosperity Law’s Liverpool office when, in 2023, he created a client-care letter with appended terms of business but dated it to appear as though it had been prepared three years earlier.

Durkin, who acted for a client in a partnership dispute, later conceded to colleagues that the document had not existed at the relevant time. He admitted his conduct was reckless and lacked integrity, but denied dishonesty.

The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) noted it had “difficulty in understanding how the backdating of a document could be anything other than dishonest” but, on balance, decided it would not be proportionate to hold a full hearing on the issue given Durkin and the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) had both accepted the seriousness of the misconduct. The tribunal therefore granted leave for the SRA to withdraw the dishonesty allegation.

The tribunal initially rejected a joint proposal from Durkin and the SRA for a three-month suspension, inviting them instead to agree a more “substantial” sanction. The revised 12-month suspension, starting 23 July 2025, was approved.

The SDT noted there had been no direct loss to the client, although a negligence claim was later pursued. It concluded that the incident had “undoubtedly harmed the reputation of the legal profession” and imposed costs of nearly £25,000.

In mitigation, which was not accepted by the SRA, Durkin said he had been stressed, overworked and facing personal difficulties at the time, describing the backdating as a lapse of judgment and an isolated incident.

Beats places like New York, Dubai, Qatar and Singapore

The London Commercial Court (LCC) has cemented its position as the world’s leading centre for complex commercial litigation, with parties from a record 93 countries appearing before it in the past year.

New figures from the Law Society’s International Data Insights Report 2025 show that over 60% of litigants came from outside the UK, underlining London’s global dominance in resolving high-value business disputes.

The court delivered 196 written judgments between October 2023 and September 2024, surpassing international rivals in New York, Dubai, Qatar and Singapore.

Speed is also a defining feature of the court. More than half of contested trials (54%) were completed within just four working days, a higher proportion than in previous years.

Unsurprisingly, London’s status as a hub for arbitration feeds into this caseload — around one in five LCC claims arises from challenges to arbitral awards, according to the report.

The top foreign litigants came from the UAE (68) and the US (66), while the number of Russian parties more than doubled year-on-year, rising from 27 to 60. Other frequent users included Cyprus, the Cayman Islands, Switzerland and Luxembourg.

Aspiring lawyer Jack O’Sullivan was last seen 18 months ago

An anonymous donor has put forward a £100,000 reward for information about the whereabouts of missing 22-year-old aspiring lawyer Jack O’Sullivan.

Jack, who studied history at the University of Exeter and was in the process of completing his law conversion course at BPP University, disappeared in the early hours of 2 March 2024 after leaving a house party in Bristol’s Hotwells area.

The last confirmed sighting was at 3:13am, when CCTV captured him walking across a grassy area near Brunel Lock Way. Police believe a further “likely” sighting followed at 3:38am on Bennett Way slip road near Cumberland Basin, but since then his trail has gone cold.

His mother, Catherine O’Sullivan, admitted she initially questioned whether the reward was genuine. “Once we established that it was real, we were overcome by the generosity… it was a lot to take in,” she told BBC News. “If it does help us get some answers or find out where Jack is, we will be eternally grateful.”

Jack’s brother Ben added: “We’re in a position where we’ll take any help we can get… any chance of being able to get the answers we require, we’ll take.”

Despite extensive searches — including more than 200 hours of diving in the river, over 100 hours of CCTV footage reviewed, and over 40 hours of land searches — the family remain without answers.

The case has attracted major public attention. The ‘Find Jack’ Facebook group now has nearly 100,000 members, while posters and digital billboards across Bristol continue to appeal for information.

But the family have also faced distressing challenges. Since his disappearance, they have received abusive and threatening messages from strangers — some falsely claiming to be holding Jack and demanding a ransom. “We get all sorts of peculiar messages and nasty information… it is incredibly hard to deal with,” Catherine said.

Avon and Somerset Police launched an “extensive” investigation the day Jack went missing, involving more than 30 specialist teams. The force has since referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct following a formal complaint by the family, and has now commissioned a senior investigator to conduct a further review.

Assistant Chief Constable Joanne Hall said the force “appreciates the anguish this is having on his family” and “remains committed to doing everything it can to find Jack”.

Jack’s mother remains determined. “It still dominates my thoughts, that’s why we’re so eager to get some answers and get Jack home. Living with hope is something that I still take as a positive, and that hope won’t diminish,” she said. “It’s like being on the worst roller coaster ride of your life… you’ve got constant anxiety but without an explanation for it, that’s the hardest thing to deal with.”

Anyone with information is urged to contact Avon and Somerset Police, the Missing People charity, or the family’s dedicated webpage.

HMCTS says removal necessary to protect listed building

A new mural by Banksy that appeared yesterday on the Royal Courts of Justice in London will be taken down, court authorities have confirmed.

The artwork, which shows a judge striking a protester with a gavel, was quickly covered with black plastic and surrounded by barriers. HM Courts & Tribunals Service says the removal is necessary to protect the Grade II-listed building.

They said: “The Royal Courts of Justice is a listed building and HMCTS are obliged to maintain its original character.

The piece is widely considered to be referencing recent protests linked to the banning of activist group Palestine Action, but for now, its time on the court’s walls is set to be short-lived.

Potential BANKSY ARTWORK.

Depicting a Judge attacking a protester with his Gavel.

Currently being covered by the Westminster Council.#StreetArt #Banksy #LondonArt #breaking #BreakingNews #artnews pic.twitter.com/od8bvStLfb

— Mighty Mushroom Man (@MightyMushroomM) September 8, 2025

Advice from a future Magic Circle trainee

1 September marked the start of the 2026 trainee recruitment cycle. Future Magic Circle trainee and Legal Cheek writer Ryan Scott shares his top tips for securing a coveted training contract this application season.

1. Meet as many firms as possible

That dreaded application form staple — “why this firm?” — is often the first and hardest hurdle for future trainees to cross. From the outside, City firms can look very similar: international presence, ‘dynamic’ work, Band 1 rankings… basically, a load of corporate waffle.

Meeting firms directly, however, gave me a much clearer picture — not just of their practice areas and sector strengths, but of their culture, their people, and whether I could actually see myself fitting in.

Open Days run throughout September to December (and many firms reimburse travel!). You can tour offices, chat to trainees and partners, and pick up tips for the application process.

Legal Cheek also runs its Virtual Law Fairs and firm-specific events throughout the application season. I attended last year while doing my applications, and skipping through the different firms’ booths felt a bit like speed-dating: some I clicked with straight away, others I knew weren’t a match, and a few surprised me completely — ones I’d never even considered until I met them.

To keep this long-winded metaphor going, it’s also where I met the ‘one’ for the first time — my future firm.

2. Figure out what matters most to you

Be honest about your priorities. A fat salary? A plush office on Bishopsgate? Free weekends?

For me, it was Band 1 rankings across the board — that way, I could explore a variety of seats, confident I’d be working on top-quality matters while learning from the best. A large trainee cohort and strong international presence mattered too. This might make some feel like just another cog in the machine, but I saw it as a chance to connect and collaborate with colleagues across the globe.

Others might prefer the smaller cohorts on offer at some boutique or US firms, where trainees take on much greater responsibility from day one and face a steeper learning curve.

A great starting point is The Legal Cheek Firms Most List (and I don’t just say that because I work here now), which lays out the number of trainees, salary, working hours, international presence, secondment opportunities, and more.

3. Create a shortlist of firms

Once you know your priorities, narrow your focus to around 10-15 firms — and dive deep. Clifford Chance alone received 5,804 applications in 2022. I’d hazard a guess that the other Magic Circle firms were broadly similar, putting the total combined applications for the quintet in the tens of thousands each year.

A scattergun approach to applications — sending generic applications to dozens of firms in the hope that one sticks — rarely works. By creating a shortlist, you can dedicate more time to research, tailor each application properly, and keep deadlines manageable.

Last year, I whittled my list down to 12 firms that aligned with my priorities, and that excelled in the practice areas and sectors I was interested in (more on this later).

4. Track deadlines

Plan ahead. Application season moves fast, and December will sneak up before you know it.

I was working full-time as a paralegal while applying, balancing the 9–5 office job with the 5–9 application grind — and sacrificing my annual leave to travel down to London for Open Days. Focusing on only 12 firms made this (slightly) more manageable.

Record each firm’s deadlines for vacation schemes and training contracts — Legal Cheek’s Key Deadlines Calendar is great for this. And check if deadlines are rolling: Slaughter and May, for example, reviews applications as they come in, so early submission is key. An 11:59pm submission on deadline day probably won’t cut it.

5. Go beyond the surface

The Legal Cheek Firms Most List is a brilliant starting point, but don’t stop there. Dig into firm websites, Chambers and Legal 500 rankings, reports, podcasts, newsletters, articles, even LinkedIn posts.

Focus on what genuinely interests you — it makes your application read far more authentically. In my case, that was the net-zero transition. I went to webinars and combed through firm websites to find specific deals I could namedrop in applications and interviews.

Handily, Legal 500 even provides “work highlights” for each practice area, showcasing the matters that firms are particularly chuffed with.

6. Reach out to current trainees

Messaging trainees on LinkedIn feels a bit like cold-calling — but in my experience, it’s nothing to stress about.

Every trainee I’ve reached out to has been extremely generous with their time. And remember: most are only a couple years older than you and can vividly recall the trials and tribulations of application season.

But be respectful of their time. Generic and open-ended questions like “Tips for a TC?” rarely get replies. Do your homework — maybe a bit of LinkedIn stalking — then ask about the seat they’re in or what they enjoy most about it. Show you’ve thought about your question, and you’ll get a far better answer.

7. Organise your research

All that research is useless if it’s saved in some random folder on your computer that you’ll never find again. Find a system that works for you to collate and organise it. Mine was a giant Excel spreadsheet (aptly named “Firm Megatable”).

Firm names ran across the top row, and areas of research down the first column — practice area specialisms, key sectors, legal tech, big-name clients, training contract structure, secondments, pro bono, diversity initiatives, recent mandates, and so on.

The beauty of the Megatable was being able to compare firms easily. You can see at a glance in which areas Firm A is stronger than Firm B — which then feeds straight into tailored answers.

Whether you like Word, Pages, or a notebook with pretty highlighters, the key is to have one system and update it consistently.

8. Tailor your applications: why, why, why

One of the biggest mistakes I see is failing to answer the “Why?”.

“I attended a webinar on the firm’s net-zero work.” Great — and? What did you learn? Why does that motivate you to apply here? Did it spark further research, or interest in a specific deal or report? Go deeper, and show some genuine engagement. It’s all about linking your experiences to your motivations.

If you reference a deal, don’t just say “I found this interesting.” Explain why — the regulatory complexity, the cross-border elements, the financing structure — and then link it back to the firm’s strengths and your reasons for applying.

9. Don’t be afraid to stand out

Early Talent teams sift through thousands of applications each cycle. The last thing they want to see is the same copy-pasted, ChatGPT-ified paragraphs on a loop. Authenticity is an asset.

Non-legal experiences can be extremely compelling. While some candidates may have completed every vac scheme in the City, balancing part-time work for years alongside your studies can demonstrate more dedication and resilience than a brief two-week stint at a firm.

It’s all about drawing connections between your experiences (legal or not) and the skills needed as a trainee.

In a recent interview I did with future trainee Layla Qazi, she drew on “unorthodox” experiences — including building a university roller-skating society from the ground up — to evidence her leadership, collaboration and initiative. She went on to secure a training contract at Taylor Wessing.

10. Build your commercial awareness

“Commercial awareness” — the buzzword that sends chills down fledgling lawyers’ spines. It isn’t a single skill; it’s a habit of noticing how organisations make decisions, how firms make money, and how headlines affect clients. You won’t become the next Alan Sugar after one binge of the FT; commercial awareness builds up gradually. As the saying goes, it’s a marathon, not a sprint — so start early, not the night before applications.

My top resources:

• Books: All You Need to Know About the City by Christopher Stoakes makes complex economic and business concepts accessible and easy to understand.

• Newsletters: LittleLaw and Legal Cheek Weekly Round-Up are both free. Watson’s Daily (paid) breaks down headlines into ‘what this means for industry X’ — the exact skill you need to build for interviews and case studies.

• Podcasts: FT Daily Briefing and Legal Cheek Podcast during my morning commutes.

• News: CityAM (free), and the FT (if your university provides access because £39/month is steep).

Closing note…

Everyone’s journey is different, and comparison is the thief of joy. Don’t try to mould yourself into what you think a corporate lawyer should look like — be yourself and focus on what matters to you. Research thoroughly and craft applications that genuinely reflect your interests and personality.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has appointed David Lammy as Lord Chancellor in the mini-reshuffle

Barrister-turned-politician David Lammy has been appointed Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice in Keir Starmer’s latest mini-reshuffle.

The shake-up follows Angela Rayner’s resignation as Deputy Prime Minister on Friday, after it emerged she had underpaid around £40,000 in stamp duty on her £800,000 Hove flat — a failure to seek specialist tax advice which breached the ministerial code.

Lammy — who has also been named Deputy Prime Minister — replaces barrister Shabana Mahmood MP, who held the justice role for just over a year. Mahmood was only the second woman, and the first Muslim, to serve in the position.

The Tottenham MP, previously Foreign Secretary, becomes the tenth Lord Chancellor in a decade. A trained barrister, he was called to the bar at Lincoln’s Inn in 1994 before completing an LLM at Harvard Law School.

Top of his agenda will likely be the rising prison population and the Crown Court backlog — long-standing challenges that have thwarted his predecessors.

Elsewhere in the reshuffle, Baroness Levitt (Alison Levitt KC) replaces Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede as Labour’s justice spokesperson in the Lords. Called to the bar in 1988, Levitt served as principal legal adviser to Keir Starmer during his tenure as Director of Public Prosecutions.

Meanwhile, barrister Ellie Reeves MP has been appointed Solicitor General, succeeding former Slaughter and May lawyer Lucy Rigby, who moves to the Treasury as Economic Secretary.

Strongly discouraged but currently no regulatory prohibition

An independent review has called for a new rule to make it “serious misconduct” for barristers, clerks or chambers’ staff to have sexual relationships with pupils and mini-pupils, in a bid to tackle abuse of power at the bar.

The landmark report, led by Baroness Harriet Harman KC, warns that aspiring barristers are particularly vulnerable to exploitation during the year-long pupillage stage, given the influence chambers hold over tenancy decisions.

“Sexual relationships between pupils and members of chambers or clerks/staff with influence over their careers should be prohibited for the duration of pupillage. This would make it serious misconduct for a barrister, clerk, or chambers’ employee to have a sexual relationship with a pupil, mini-pupil, or anyone undertaking work experience in that chambers,” the report states.

Currently, there is no regulatory prohibition on sexual relationships between pupils and members of chambers or clerks with influence over their careers. The current guidance strongly discourages such relationships due to the obvious risks of coercion and conflicts of interest, but they are not explicitly banned. As a result, the issue is usually left to chambers’ discretion, with policies and enforcement varying widely across the profession.

The prohibition is among a wide-ranging set of recommendations in the Independent Review of Bullying, Harassment and Sexual Harassment at the Bar, published this morning.

Other proposals include:

• A new Commissioner for Conduct to oversee standards across the bar and judiciary.
Making training on bullying and harassment mandatory for all students, barristers, chambers’ employees and Inns staff every three years.

• Requiring chambers to adopt anti-bullying and anti-harassment policies, with consistent procedures for handling complaints.

• Introducing tougher sanctions, with the report stressing that bullying, harassment and sexual harassment should be “career-limiting or career-ending”.

• Extending reforms to cover judicial bullying, with calls for greater accountability in courtrooms, abolition of the JCIO’s three-month complaint time limit, and the use of court recordings to support complaints.

Launching the report, Harman KC said the bar must take action now. “Strong sanctions are needed to send the message that things are going to change, that serious misconduct will not be met with a quiet word or a brief suspension but will be career-limiting or career-ending,” she said.

The review concludes that only radical change will end what it describes as a “culture of denial” at the top of the profession.

A US lawyer — who shares the same name as the tech billionaire — takes legal action against Meta over the repeated removal of his Facebook pages

A US lawyer with the same name as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is suing Meta, the parent company of the social media giant, because his pages keep getting suspended.

Unlike his Silicon Valley namesake, Indianapolis lawyer Mark S. Zuckerberg has spent the past three decades practising law, specialising in consumer bankruptcy and debt relief.

This name mix-up is no new phenomenon. Zuckerberg told reporters that his account has been suspended five times over the last eight years, having first opened a Facebook account in 2009. You can’t accuse him of lacking a sense of humour about the whole situation: in 2015 the attorney launched a tongue-in-cheek website called IamMarkZuckerberg.com. Zuckerberg told Wired in 2016 that “It was kind of funny. I had my real two minutes of fame.”

However, it seems that his patience has run out. According to the lawsuit filed at Marion County Superior Court, Zuckerberg claims that the repeated suspensions have cost him thousands of dollars in lost business.

“It’s not funny,” Mr Zuckerberg told website WTHR-TV. “Not when they take my money.”

The lawyer is accusing Meta of negligence and breach of contract after paying $11,000 for advertising on the site for his business, which he argues was improperly taken down.

“It’s like buying a billboard… and then they put a blanket over it,” he told the website.

Emails with Facebook he shared online reveal accusations of not using his ‘authentic name’ and warning that the account would be permanently disabled if the issue continued. Zuckerberg continuously provided them with various forms of ID to verify his identity, but it was not enough.

His account was shut down in May and only restored after the lawsuit was filed.

Meta has since released a statement, saying it has reinstated Mark [S] Zuckerberg’s account, after finding it had been disabled in error. We appreciate Mr Zuckerberg’s continued patience on this issue and are working to try and prevent this from happening in the future.”

He’s reportedly seeking reimbursement, legal fees, and an injunction — but has joked he’d settle for an apology, or even just a handshake, from the other Zuckerberg.

The top legal affairs news stories from this morning and the weekend

‘He put his hand down my tights’: Sexual harassment widespread among barristers, review finds [BBC News]

Solicitor sexually propositioned colleague 50 years his junior [The Telegraph] (£)

Does Graham Linehan’s case prove police are handcuffed by the law? [The Times] (£)

Shabana Mahmood is just another Left-wing lawyer [The Telegraph] (£)

How did Angela Rayner come unstuck? A legal expert explains [Independent]

Boss at ‘scapegoat’ law firm used by Angela Rayner mocked ex-Deputy PM and Starmer as TV’s Del & Rodney in online post [The Sun]

Judge criticised for wishing 7/7 mastermind ‘well’ [The Telegraph] (£)

Woman’s online shopping at work not sackable offence, judge rules [BBC News]

How the highest criminal court in the world is facing its gravest crisis yet [The Telegraph] (£)

Former Northumberland solicitor urinated on neighbours’ doorstep during harassment campaign [Chronicle Live]

“£12,500 is very disproportionate for a junior. That’s no doubt going to come with a lot of financial strain.” [Legal Cheek comments]

Upcoming events :

THIS TUESDAY: Ethics and the law — with Clyde & Co [Apply Now]

THIS WEDNESDAY: Powering change: Exploring energy transition projects — with Ashurst [Apply Now]

THIS THURSDAY: Legal Cheek Live in London [Apply Now]

26 of 30

Mishcon de Reya has revealed that 26 of its 30 qualifying trainees have accepted newly qualified (NQ) solicitor roles at the firm, handing it a retention rate of 87%.

Daniel Lipman, partner and training principal at Mishcon, said:

“Our junior lawyers are the future of the firm and I am delighted that so many of this year’s trainees have accepted positions with us to continue their careers. I have been so impressed with how they’ve embraced every opportunity to learn and develop the skills to be the best lawyers they can be and I look forward to seeing their careers flourish at Mishcon de Reya.”

The Legal Cheek Firms Most List 2026 shows Mishcon takes on around 32 trainees each year, with newly qualified (NQ) solicitors earning £100,000.

Trainee retention rates: the story so far…

(scroll right if using )

Firm	Trainees	Retained	Retention Rate	NQ Destinations
Wedlake Bell	8	8	100%	2 to insolvency; 1 each to commercial disputes, construction, corporate, tax, IP/commercial, and private client
Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer	31	29	94%	Undisclosed
Irwin Mitchell	53	48	91%	14 to Business Services Group; 12 to Medical Negligence; 9 to Court of Protection & Public Law & Human Rights; 8 to Private Client Group; 4 to Personal Injury; 1 to General Counsel
RPC	18	16	89%	6 to insurance; 6 to disputes (3 IP/tech, 2 commercial litigation, 1 media); 4 to corporate & commercial
Watson Farley & Williams	18	16	89%	5 to asset finance; 4 to project finance; 2 to corporate; 1 to debt capital markets; 2 to disputes and 1 to finance in Dubai; 1 to disputes in Bangkok
Mishcon de Reya	30	26	87%	Undisclosed
Clifford Chance	57	49	86%	Undisclosed
Macfarlanes	28	24	86%	Undisclosed
Baker McKenzie	20	17	85%	4 to disputes; 3 to employment; 2 each to corporate M&A and corporate energy & infrastructure; 1 each to corporate finance, corporate private equity, intellectual property, and financial services regulatory; 2 to antitrust & competition
Lewis Silkin	6	5	83%	2 to employment; 1 each to IP, corporate, and digital, creative & commerce
Linklaters	40	33	83%	Undisclosed
Bird & Bird	20	15	75%	5 to commercial; 5 to IP; 2 to disputes; 2 to corporate; 1 to employment
Pinsent Masons	71	52	73%	19 to finance & projects; 13 to transactional; 10 to property; 10 to risk advisory
A&O Shearman	54	37	69%	Undisclosed
Withers	14	9	65%	Undisclosed

Isolated incident

A junior solicitor has been suspended from practice for 12 months after admitting he altered correspondence with a client in what he described as a “moment of panic”.

Michael Peter Goodwin, 40, joined Talbots Law in 2021 and had been qualified for less than two years when he mistakenly sent an email to the wrong address in a residential property matter.

Instead of immediately admitting the error, he amended the forwarded version the following day to make it appear it had been correctly sent first time round, writing: “I understand you’ve not received the attached.”

The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) found his dishonesty was confined to a single email and accepted it was a “brief, isolated incident rather than a prolonged or sustained act”. No harm was caused to the client.

The tribunal noted the misconduct brought “minimum benefit” to Goodwin, beyond perhaps sparing him some embarrassment over the initial mistake or the consequences of potential data breach.

Goodwin admitted the alteration at an internal meeting three months later, before resigning from the firm and self-reporting to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). He accepted at the time that “he knew it was wrong and should not have done it”.

In mitigation — which the SRA did not accept — Goodwin said he had been under considerable emotional strain and struggling with the pressures of practice. Additional medical evidence was heard in private.

The SRA said the conduct was deliberate but carried out “in panic and haste”, stressing that Goodwin had shown remorse, made “open and frank admissions” and cooperated with the regulator throughout the investigation.

He agreed to a 12-month suspension and to pay £12,500 towards the SRA’s costs.

National law firm confirms it did not advise deputy PM on £800k flat stamp duty error

Shoosmiths has moved to distance itself from the political row surrounding deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, after its name was wrongly linked to her £800,000 flat purchase that resulted in underpaid stamp duty.

The national law firm had previously acted for Rayner, and the BBC News reports it was responsible for setting up a trust for her son in 2020. This past connection fuelled speculation online that Shoosmiths had also advised on her property deal.

But the firm has now confirmed it gave no advice on the flat purchase that saw Rayner pay up to £40,000 less by not applying the higher rate of stamp duty reserved for additional homes.

A spokesperson for Shoosmiths said:

“We did not act for the Rt Hon Angela Rayner in relation to the purchase of her Hove property and/or the SDLT aspects of that property. Ms Rayner is not a current client of the firm and has not been for some time.”

Rayner is facing calls to resign over the matter. The Labour MP has rejected claims she deliberately avoided tax, saying she relied on legal advice that did not “properly take account” of her circumstances.

Those circumstances include the court-ordered trust, created to manage compensation following a medical incident that left her son with life-long disabilities.

When her divorce was finalised in 2023, Rayner and her ex-husband transferred part of their stakes in the family home in Greater Manchester into the trust, where they both act as trustees.

This arrangement allowed for a “nesting” set-up, meaning the children could remain in the property while the parents alternated living there. Rayner later sold her remaining 25% stake in the home to the trust in January this year, receiving £162,500.

Rayner said she has contacted HMRC to clarify how much tax she owes.

The identity of the lawyer or firm she consulted is still unknown.

52 out of 71

Pinsent Masons has kept on 52 of its 71 qualifying trainees this autumn, giving the firm a retention score of 73%.

Nineteen of the newly qualified (NQ) solicitors join the firm’s finance and projects team, with 13 heading to transactional departments, 10 to property, and another 10 to risk advisory services.

Elsewhere, Bird & Bird revealed a 75% retention rate, keeping 15 of its 20 qualifiers. The group includes five in commercial, five in IP, two in disputes, two in corporate, and one in employment.

Elsewhere, Lewis Silkin confirmed it will retain five of its six final-seat trainees. Two join the firm’s employment practice, while the remaining three qualify into IP, corporate, and the digital, creative and commerce team.

The Legal Cheek Firms Most List 2026 shows that NQs at Pinsents start on £105,000 in London, while their counterparts at Bird & Bird earn £102,000. At Lewis Silkin, NQ salaries sit at £85,000.

Trainee retention rates: the story so far…

(scroll right if using )

Firm	Trainees	Retained	Retention Rate	NQ Destinations
Wedlake Bell	8	8	100%	2 to insolvency; 1 each to commercial disputes, construction, corporate, tax, IP/commercial, and private client
Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer	31	29	94%	Undisclosed
Irwin Mitchell	53	48	91%	14 to Business Services Group; 12 to Medical Negligence; 9 to Court of Protection & Public Law & Human Rights; 8 to Private Client Group; 4 to Personal Injury; 1 to General Counsel
RPC	18	16	89%	6 to insurance; 6 to disputes (3 IP/tech, 2 commercial litigation, 1 media); 4 to corporate & commercial
Watson Farley & Williams	18	16	89%	5 to asset finance; 4 to project finance; 2 to corporate; 1 to debt capital markets; 2 to disputes and 1 to finance in Dubai; 1 to disputes in Bangkok
Clifford Chance	57	49	86%	Undisclosed
Macfarlanes	28	24	86%	Undisclosed
Lewis Silkin	6	5	83%	2 to employment; 1 each to IP, corporate, and digital, creative & commerce
Linklaters	40	33	83%	Undisclosed
Bird & Bird	20	15	75%	5 to commercial; 5 to IP; 2 to disputes; 2 to corporate; 1 to employment
Pinsent Masons	71	52	73%	19 to finance & projects; 13 to transactional; 10 to property; 10 to risk advisory
A&O Shearman	54	37	69%	Undisclosed
Withers	14	9	65%	Undisclosed

85%

Baker McKenzie has announced an 85% retention rate for its latest batch of London trainees. Of the 20 qualifying trainees, 17 are staying on in newly qualified (NQ) roles with the firm.

The cohort of fresh-faced associates will spread across a range of practice areas. Disputes takes the largest share with four NQs, while employment welcomes three. The corporate teams also see new joiners, with two each heading to corporate M&A and corporate energy & infrastructure, and one apiece to corporate finance and corporate private equity. Other destinations include antitrust & competition (two NQs), intellectual property (one NQ), and financial services regulatory (one NQ).

James Robinson, Baker McKenzie’s London training principal, said:

“We’re proud to welcome our latest cohort of newly qualified lawyers into the London office as they take the next step in their legal careers. Our commitment to nurturing talent continues through competitive salaries, comprehensive benefits, and industry-leading training. Our London office plays a pivotal role within our global network and offers lawyers an exceptional platform to collaborate across jurisdictions, deepen their expertise and work on our clients’ most complex cross-border deals and matters.”

The Legal Cheek Firms Most List 2026 shows NQs in the firm’s London office earn £145,000, up from the £61,000 second-year trainee salary.

Trainee retention rates: the story so far…

(scroll right if using )

Firm	Trainees	Retained	Retention Rate	NQ Destinations
Wedlake Bell	8	8	100%	2 to insolvency; 1 each to commercial disputes, construction, corporate, tax, IP/commercial, and private client
Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer	31	29	94%	Undisclosed
Irwin Mitchell	53	48	91%	14 to Business Services Group; 12 to Medical Negligence; 9 to Court of Protection & Public Law & Human Rights; 8 to Private Client Group; 4 to Personal Injury; 1 to General Counsel
RPC	18	16	89%	6 to insurance; 6 to disputes (3 IP/tech, 2 commercial litigation, 1 media); 4 to corporate & commercial
Watson Farley & Williams	18	16	89%	5 to asset finance; 4 to project finance; 2 to corporate; 1 to debt capital markets; 2 to disputes and 1 to finance in Dubai; 1 to disputes in Bangkok
Clifford Chance	57	49	86%	Undisclosed
Macfarlanes	28	24	86%	Undisclosed
Baker McKenzie	20	17	85%	4 to disputes; 3 to employment; 2 each to antitrust & competition, corporate energy & infrastructure, and corporate M&A; 1 each to corporate finance, corporate private equity, intellectual property, and financial services regulatory
Linklaters	40	33	83%	Undisclosed
A&O Shearman	54	37	69%	Undisclosed
Withers	14	9	65%	Undisclosed

Convicted earlier this year

A trainee solicitor has been hit with restrictions on where and how he can work in the legal profession after being convicted of criminal offences.

Salhan Mukesh was working as a trainee solicitor at Birmingham’s MCS Solicitors when he was convicted in January 2025 of common assault and a racially aggravated public order offence at Dudley Magistrates’ Court.

According to a decision notice published by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), the regulator found that Salhan’s conduct made it “undesirable for him to be involved in a legal practice” without prior SRA approval.

As a result, Mukesh is now subject to a section 43 order, which prevents him from being employed by any solicitor or law firm regulated by the SRA unless the regulator grants permission.

Mukesh — who, according to the notice, remains employed by the firm — has also been ordered to pay £1,350 in SRA costs.

Prioritising additional chargeable work over potential work–life balance benefits

Lawyers are increasingly using AI tools to drive up billable hours, with more than half admitting they spend the time saved by automation on extra chargeable work.

The findings come from a new report by LexisNexis, The AI Culture Clash, which shows 61% of lawyers now use AI in their day-to-day work, up from 46% in January 2025.

Most lawyers (56%) said they used the time saved with AI to increase billable work, while nearly as many (53%) used it to improve their work-life balance.

Associates across firms of all sizes are prioritising billable work over wellbeing, with larger firms in particular focusing on the commercial gains AI can deliver.

“Lawyers are proving that AI delivers clear commercial returns,” said Stuart Greenhill, senior director of segment management at LexisNexis UK. “They’re using it to increase billable hours, rethink pricing models, and deliver more value to clients. Firms that treat AI as a strategic investment, not just an efficiency tool, will gain a decisive edge in profitability and client satisfaction.”

Despite the surge in usage, the report highlights a cultural lag. Only 17% of lawyers said AI is fully embedded in their firm’s strategy and operations, while two-thirds reported their organisation’s AI culture is slow or non-existent.

Confidence is highest among those using tools designed specifically for the legal sector, with 88% of users reporting greater trust in outputs grounded in verified legal sources. This follows several high-profile incidents where lawyers used general AI tools, only to discover that the tools had fabricated cases, which were then inadvertently included in legal submissions.

The research also warned of a potential talent risk for firms that fall behind. Nearly one in five lawyers said they would consider leaving their organisation if it failed to adequately invest in AI — a figure that jumps to 26% at large firms.

Almost half of lawyers (47%) now expect AI to transform billing models, up from 40% earlier this year, with law firm leaders and general counsel among the most attuned to the shift.

Work-life balance and lack of career progression among key drivers

Junior lawyers are leaving law firms in droves, with the number of associates quitting the profession almost doubling in the past year, according to new research.

The BigHand Legal Talent & Resourcing Report 2025, which surveyed more than 800 senior figures across UK and US firms, found 16% of junior associates and 17% of senior associates walked away from private practice in the last 12 months, up from just 9% in both groups in 2024.

The findings highlight what BigHand dubs the “million dollar problem”, with each departure estimated to cost firms up to $1 million (£790,000) in lost revenue, recruitment and training.

And it’s not just about money. Losing associates heaps pressure on those who remain, fuels burnout, and drains institutional knowledge — a cocktail that risks further departures and even higher costs.

Why are so many lawyers voting with their feet? According to the report, the main drivers are hybrid working, the desire for better work–life balance, and limited opportunities for career progression. It also reveals that a growing number are leaving private practice altogether, either quitting law or moving in-house

Mid-sized firms appear to be feeling the squeeze the most, with tighter budgets and smaller teams making each resignation hit harder.

BigHand’s analysis suggests that firms still relying on “gut feeling” resourcing are part of the problem. Around 43% of work allocation decisions remain lawyer-led, often based on personal preference rather than profitability or skill.

The report argues that better data-driven resource management — including real-time insight into lawyer capacity, skills and workloads — could help stem the exodus, improve retention and even boost profitability.

The report argues that effective resource management is key not only for efficiency but also for keeping talent engaged and supported.

The top legal affairs news stories from this morning and the weekend

Epping hotel asylum seekers to remain at the Bell, court rules [BBC News]

Epping hotel judge ‘reported to conduct office’ over bias allegations [The Telegraph] (£)

Labour won the legal battle over asylum hotels, but the right is running the story [The Guardian]

Palestine Action lawyers accuse Yvette Cooper of ‘cynical media campaign’ [The Guardian]

‘We need investment in offshore wind’ – environmental lawyer [Channel 4]

My daughter wanted to be a lawyer. Then she ran away to join a woodland tribe [The Times] (£)

Companies face prosecution risk as new fraud law comes into force [The Guardian]

Cardi B’s trial: ‘Which one is your real hair?’ Rapper’s wigs and nails baffle lawyers in court [BBC News]

The only lawyer in DC willing to take on Trump [The Telegraph] (£)

“That’s disingenuous. Part time jobs in hospitality etc are common among law students. Few cleaners become lawyers.” [Legal Cheek comments]

Upcoming events :

TOMORROW: The Legal Cheek September UK Virtual Law Fair 2025 [Apply Now]

Inês Pinheiro has launched TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn pages to tell her story

A DLA Piper trainee has gone public with her extraordinary journey from cleaning offices in London to starting her training contract with the global firm.

Inês Pinheiro, who achieved a first-class law degree from London South Bank University, wrote in a candid LinkedIn post that she went “from cleaning toilets to preparing for vacation schemes at global firms in a year”.

“I swiped the street floors in front of 110 Bishopsgate Heron Tower at 5 am in the morning,” said Pinheiro, who grew up in Venezuela. “The reception girls looked at me confused. They’d speak about me. Thinking I didn’t know English. My English was poor but I could read facial expressions.”

Far from discouraging her, those early experiences motivated her to aim higher. “Being there didn’t hurt me but it fuelled me. I come from a different world. A different planet you can say,” she explained.

Within a year of learning English, Pinheiro was applying for vacation schemes and later preparing for a vac scheme at Freshfields. All of this, she noted, was achieved with “No family in England. No financial support. Only an emotional baggage, traumas and a heavy load I carried from the previous crisis I endured back in Venezuela. Oh and the resilience that marks every Venezuelan around the world.”

She credits faith and hard work for her success: “Believing in yourself and having faith takes you places. I can guarantee you that.”

Outside of law, Pinheiro is a former Miss Portugal contestant and spent her childhood in Venezuela, where she experienced violence and instability. “I don’t get scared easily, I don’t feel intimidated easily, and I don’t believe in impossibles. I am super humble and like to work hard,” she told her connections on LinkedIn.

Reflecting on her transformation, Pinheiro said: “I had to bury myself completely to raise this new person out of thin air… Between the possible and the impossible. With my feet on earth but my head up in the clouds — not even the cloud, more like out in space. And I’ve seen it work.”

She ended her post with a reminder to treat everyone with kindness:

“Oh and be kind to your cleaners, waitresses, people in lower ranks etc, you may be working next to them in the future so make sure you’re friendly. ”

Follow Inês Pinheiro’s Deary me today account on social media:

TikTok

@dearymetoday This song is everything i stand for and this is how I am dealing with my SQE2 failure. #corporate #corporatelife #corporatetiktok #honest #corporatelaw ♬ original sound – dearymetoday

LinkedIn

Instagram

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @dearymetoday